The "Nikiforos-Toksotis" military exercise which is being held on a yearly basis by the Greek Cypriot Administration and Greece, in the context of the "joint military doctrine", was performed this year between 17-21 October 2000.

The Greek combat aircraft and warships took part in the exercise which was held with the participation of mechanized infantry and armored units and with the support of heavy artillery.

The exercise was performed on the basis of offensive scenarios towards the Turkish party. The Greek combat aircraft carried out air to land attack tasks and landed at the Andreas Papandreu Military Air Base established in Paphos allocated to Greece.

The mode of performance of the exercise justified the security concerns of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and is assessed as a development which would adversely affect the peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is evident that the implementation of such an exercise with the participation of the Greek combat aircraft and their landing at the Paphos Air Base in a period when the process of proximity talks which was initiated within the context of the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General is underway between the two parties in Cyprus, will neither contribute to the efforts aiming at the maintenance of peace and stability in Cyprus, nor to the process of proximity talks.

Turkey will resolutely continue to undertake all the necessary measures against the attempts aiming at upsetting the peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the balance between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus as well as against all sorts of threats towards the security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.